About Bangalore

Bangalore

Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is often referred to as the ‘Garden City’ because of the numerous parks and gardens that dot the localities of the city. It is also considered as a major information technology (IT) hub of the country and thus called the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. Kempe Gowda, a feudal ruler affiliated to the Vijayanagara kingdom, first established a mud fort, which turned out to be the foundation of the present day city. The city passed through a myriad of rulers ranging from the Marathas, Mughals and Mysore rulers before becoming a part of independent India.

Budget Hotels in BangaloreThere are a couple of good budget hotels in the city. Some of the options which are worth a try are Suntrupthi Residency (Tariff – Rs. 950), Citizen Lodge (Tariff – Rs. 850), The Royal Nest (Tariff – Rs. 900), Vijaya Residency (Tariff – Rs. 900) and others.

LanguageThe official language of Bangalore is Kannada. Hindi, English, Telugu and Tamil are also understood and widely spoken.

Events in BangaloreThe important festivals of the area are Pongal in January, Karaga in April, Ganesh Chathurthi in August-September, Diwali in October-November, the fasting month of Ramadan, the two Eid(s), Easter and Christmas.

Places to See in BangaloreSome of the places worth trying out in Bangalore are Bangalore Palace, Lal Bagh, Cubbon Park, Bannerghatta National Park,Vidhana Soudha, Seshadari Iyer Memorial, Tipu Sultan’s Palace, Bull Temple, ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Meenakshi Sundaram Temple, Holy Trinity Church and St. Mary’s Basilica. Wonderla Amusement Park at a distance of 28 km is popular with youngsters and children looking for a break on weekends.

How to Get There

Air:The nearest airport is the Kempegowda International Airport at a distance of 36 km.

Rail:Bangalore City Junction Railway Station is the major railway station in the city.

Bus:There is bus service running from almost everywhere in south India to Bangalore city. State transport buses as well as private operators ply their buses to and fro the city. SRS Travels, Kallada Travels and SRM, Travels are some of the major operators in the city as well as the region. Do away with standing in ticket counters and opt for online bus reservation facility instead.

About Sangli

Sangli

A city in the state of Maharashtra, Sangli is situated on the banks of the River Krishna and is the largest market place for turmeric in Asia. The city is known as Natyapandhari, the birthplace of Marathi drama and the ‘Sugar Belt of India’. One of the largest grape growing regions in Maharashtra, Sangli also houses the country’s only turmeric exchange. To develop the wine industry, the government of Maharashtra has set up a specialized state-of-the-art wine park at Palus, 30 km from Sangli city.

Places to StayThere are many hotels to stay in Sangli. Tourists visiting the place can stay at Hotel New Pride, Hotel Ruchira Deluxe and Hotel Icon Innthat offers rooms starting from Rs.700 onwards.

EventsGanesha Festival is the greatest Festival in Sangli and the nearby region. This festival is popularly known as Ganesh Utsav in this city.

Bus:Chintamani Nagar Bus Stop, Shinde Mala City Bus Stop, Abhaynagar Bus Stop, Jhulelal Chowk Bus Stop and Kolhapur Road Bus Station run regular bus service to neighbouring towns and villages. There are a great number of bus operators like VRL Travelsthat offers travellers regular bus services to and from the town. Ticketgoose.com provides bus tickets at minimum rates to all its travelers.